Hubbard, Crain Win Contested Races

onMay 21, 2013

With unofficial results tabulated as Town Clerk Barbara Sullivan has yet to declare a write-in winner for the Old Rochester Regional District School Committee, William F. Hubbard beat out Christopher Jaskolka for Water/Sewer Commissioner, while Mary Crain held on to her Planning Board seat in a race against Paul Osenkowski.

No candidates filed for the Old Rochester Region District School Committee spot, but a write-in winner could emerge.

The Mattapoisett Election drew 661 voters for a 14% turnout.

Hubbard earned 379 votes to Jaskolka’s 246, with 36 blanks.

Crain’s 396 was more than enough to hold off Osenkowski, who received 193, with 72 blanks.

“I’m excited and pleased,” Crain said after learning of her victory. “I think voters responded to my experience and background geared toward planning. I’m balanced. I don’t have an agenda; I just want to help out.”

Crain said that the Planning Board will face more challenges during her five-year term.

“We’ll be dealing with solar, as well as cell towers,” she said, adding that public participation will be crucial in the coming years. “We’ll be taking a comprehensive look at zoning ordinances and doing an overhaul on that.”

Elsewhere on the ballot, in response to Question No. 1 – which asked if the town of Mattapoisett should be exempt from the provision of Proposition 2 ½, the amount required to pay for the bond issued in order to pay costs of making general repairs and improvements to the roads within the town as shown as Phase III on the town’s Five Year Road Infrastructure Improvement Plan – 273 voters answered yes, while 188 said no, with 200 ballots left blank.

Jordan Collyer was re-elected to the Board of Selectmen unopposed.

Cary LeBlanc was re-elected Assessor unopposed.

Charles Motta will be back on the Mattapoisett School Committee, while new member Patrick LeClair will join him.

Voters re-elected James Dildine and Mary Magee as trustees of the Public Library, John Eklund as Town Meeting Moderator, Daniel Lee Jr. to the Board of Health, Margaret DeMello to the Mattapoisett Housing Authority, Paul Magee and Kenneth Pacheco as constables, Robert Martin as Herring Inspector, Roland Cote as Tree Warden, and William Hall and Michelle Hughes to the Community Preservation Committee.